Kansas Men's Basketball Ranked in Both National Preseason Polls

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Defending NCAA national champion, Kansas, will open the 2008-09 season ranked No. 23 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ poll and No. 24 in the Associated Press poll, as both rankings were released this week.

Kansas returns eight letterwinners from last season, yet less than 20 percent of all but one statistical category. The Jayhawks are coming off an incredible 37-3 year in 2007-08 in which they won a school record 37 games, tied for the Big 12 regular-season title, won the league postseason championship and its fifth national title (third NCAA crown). Six of KU’s top seven scorers from last season are now playing in the NBA or professionally overseas.

This marks the third straight and 17th time in the last 18 preseason coaches’ polls KU has been ranked. Kansas was not ranked in the 2005-06 preseason poll, yet climbed to as high as No. 13 nationally in tying for the Big 12 regular-season title and winning the league postseason championship with a 25-8 record. KU has been ranked in each of the last 47 coaches’ polls dating back to the 2005-06 season.

Like the coaches’ poll, this is the 17th time in the last 18 Associated Press polls that the Jayhawks have been ranked with the only omission being in 2005-06. Kansas has been ranked in each of the last 45 AP polls.